World Civilizations: Latin America Spring 2016 Mesoamerica Before Europeans Initial Migration Earliest human like creature in Africa 2 million years ago 1 million years ago: first migration out of Africa Bering Land Bridge during last ice age 14,000 years ago is when people came to America But there is evidence of settlement in South America/Latin America 10,000 and 20,000 years ago Australia had people 14,000 years ago Humans didn t only come from Asia to America but also Europe at least 25,000-30,000 years ago 7,000 years ago all the horses, cattle, and ground sloths all died in America Only animal to be domesticated was llamas Bison were around but could not be domesticated There were dogs Plant domestication 7,000-9,000 years ago Beans, squash, wheat Potatoes were indigenous to the Americas Corn Transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture Unhealthy for the people in many ways Women s role in society changed Advantage: not everyone has to be involved in food production Agriculture allows you to have a larger population, even if it is a less healthy population Pre-Classic Mesoamerica 1800 BC-150 AD Olmec civilization We don t know what they called themselves Art Anthropomorphized jaguars Given human like characteristics Giant colossal heads Hundreds of them
All different faces Similar characteristics including head gear Princes, war head gear, ball players Southeastern Mexico into Guatemala Round calendar The long count Everybody used it but the Olmec were first Not a linear conception of time 5,225 years is how long it takes before the calendar starts over Maya also use this, but a place number system Were completely isolated, yet they were coming up with the same things as the rest of the world Teotihuacan Pre-classic-classical period Mexico City Don t know what they called themselves Either relocated pre-existing society or growing from local community Well-planned out city Built 150 AD 7 th century started abandoning 150,000 people at its height Pyramids Sun: same dimensions of Giza Suggests that the sun is the center Moon Temple of Quetzalcoatl Feathered serpent God that represents the power of the Earth Traded goods for several thousands of miles Something happened between 7 th and 9 th century that swayed the people away from their religious tradition Religious icons were being destroyed Probably ecological disaster such as drought As people flee the city, they go to other civilizations bringing some of their traditions such as Quetzalcoatl Aztec legend Out of 5 th great age of man Someone sacrificed to the gods
Blood sacrifices to the gods Maya Maya started to develop around 1,200 AD Independent city states Rebirth in Yucatan Tikal Palenque Chichen Itza Used the base 20 number system Time Measurement Using sticks and twines they found square roots They had a concept of 0 The most accurate calendar for astrology until 2012 They understood that the universe was not permanent Divided calendar into Katuns (20 year periods) 260 year cycles Katuns describe what happens in that 20 year period Rise of Maya in Southern Mexico and Guatemala 1,000 AD it fell apart Because of an ecological issue Mayan cities grow in Yucatan 1,100 AD Tikal Palenque Chichen Itza El Castillo is perfectly aligned with the solstices Perfectly straight 60 mile roads Aztec They are really Mexica Tenochtitlan (Mexico City) 1367 Claim to be Atzlan Arizona/California Other people called them Aztec Also claim to be from Toltec Central Mexico after collapse of Teotihuacan and the rise of the Aztec
Quetzalcoatl and another god fight to become patron of Tula (city in Toltec) He becomes injured and is set on fire and reborn or he made a raft of serpents and sailed off into the sunrise and later return When Mexica enter the valley of Mexico, the good land is taken so they hire themselves out, believing they will be given land They fight for everyone and therefore make enemies with everyone They are chased to a lake south of Hidalgo Once they see an eagle on a prickle pear cactus, they build their city on a swampy island in a lake They take tree trunks and pound them into the ground to use as a base for their giant stone monuments Made floating gardens 250,000 people at its height in the 14 th century Functioning sewer system When Europeans show up, they find a lot of people who want to get rid of Mexica because the Mexica conquered them When they fought they didn t kill them on the battlefield, they captured them and sacrificed them to the gods There is a group that the Mexica had the ability to conquer but didn t because they wanted to use them as a source of sacrifice Tlxacalans Empire and Conquest Key terms Reconquista 1492 Indians Encomienda Mercantilism Iberian Peninsula 711: it was conquered by Islam people Stopped by Charles The Hammer Because it was ruled by Islam, there was religious tolerance House of wisdom in Sevilla ½ million books Biggest library Maintained and enhanced western knowledge
Spain and Portugal led the way in the exploration of the Americas due to knowledge Reconquista 1238 Castile and Aragon were big Christian kingdoms Granada is only Islamic kingdom Christian kingdom trying to reclaim Iberian Peninsula 1340 s Black death-bubonic plague 1/3 to ½ of European population dies They thought it was a punishment from God So they tried to please God by killing those who don t believe like them Killed off Jews and the rest went to Eastern Europe Poland Since large amounts of labor were dying, people started innovating People started questioning Does received wisdom explain everything? Discovered Canary Islands 1492: Granada Falls Now there are 2 functioning kingdoms on the Iberian Peninsula Exploration by Portugal and Spain Asia market Everyone wanted what Asia has The only way for Spanish and Portuguese to get things was to go through Arabia Italian city-states claimed the Mediterranean This means that Spain and Portugal had to pay to have things shipped through Europe through all these different city states When they were Islam it was cheaper because they were part of their empire 1415: Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal Sets up a school to study ship building and sailing They start sailing south hoping that at one point Africa will end and they can go around it They round the Cape of Good Hope in 1498